AFTERWORD: Covid-19, audiences and the future of the performing arts

The Companion to Audiences and the Performing Arts was written and edited during the unfolding of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020–21. While the immediate impact of the pandemic was obvious, with the majority of theatres and concert halls closing for significant periods of time, the longer-term impacts on the performing arts and spectatorship remain an open question. This ‘Afterword’ weaves together reflections on Covid-19 and the future of audiences written by a number of contributors to the Companion during 2020. It identifies prominent themes relating to accessibility, diversity and inclusion and asserts the importance of rebuilding – or even ‘debuilding’ – the performing arts sector with an active and conscious focus on social justice.